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Monday, August 1, 2016

Why Does My Cat Act like A Jerk?

Cat owners would agree that sometimes, pet cats can be total
jerks. Yes, they’re soft, cute, and lovable, but in actuality, their
personalities kinda suck. Before you start bashing us for that, you know it’s
true. They can be really selfish at times, and they act like they just don’t
care even when we shower them with love and affection.

Which brings us back to the question. Why do cats act like
total jerks?

A number of recent studies actually found that it’s not that
your cat is a jerk, it’s actually just their nature why they act they way they
do. Do don’t feel bad if you think your cat hates you. It’s just behaving
normally.

Cat calling

Call on a dog and it’ll run up happily and jump on your lap. A
cat, however, won’t even look at you for a second. Although your cat can hear
you when you call its name, and even recognize your voice from a stranger's,
that cats just don’t want to respond to you. The research involved observing
the behaviour of 20 house cats for a span of 8 months to see how cats recognize
and respond to our voices when we call out their name. About 70 percent of cats
acknowledged their owner by moving their heads or ears. However, only 10
percent actually gave a response to the call, by moving their tail or meowing.
According to researchers from the University of Tokyo, cats don’t take human
orders because they have not evolved to become as domesticated enough, unlike
dogs. The researchers suggested that cats “domesticated themselves” by living
with humans.

Cuddling ticks them off

We love to cuddle and pet our cats, but this actually irritates
them. According to Daniel Mills, a veterinary behavioral medicine professor at
England’s University of Lincoln, some cats actually feel stressed when you pet
them. Mills says that cats living in households with other cats are less
stressed because they have a lesser chance of getting petted by their owners.
Let’s just face it, if Snowball walks away from you when you try to give it
physical affection, she just doesn’t want to deal with the stress you give her.

I am the captain now

Just because fluffy is rubbing herself against your leg, it
doesn’t mean that it likes you. It might be nice to feel good about yourself
when a mean old cat is finally acting nice around you and starts brushing up against
you, but what it’s actually trying to say is that it owns you. Physical contact
doesn’t automatically translates to “i love you”. Most of the time, it actually
means “i own you”. By rubbing itself onto your leg or arm, it’s marking its
property by putting his or her scent on you. Like dogs, cats have a heightened
sense of smell, andwhen a cat rubs
against you, it’s informing other cats that you are its territory.

Mr.bigglesworth ain't so smart

A University of Oxford research on animal brains found that dog, because of
their very social nature, have developed a bigger brain to adapt better in
social settings. Cats, however, are more happy in solitary cultures, so their
brains are not as developed to act in social settings. This is why your cat acts
like a total stranger and won't come in to greet guests hello. If you’re still
not convinced that cats have all the makings of a bad friend, there are
countless videos of cats stealing dog beds, or terrorizing other animals so
they can't pass through where they usually hang out.

Kitty kissing might lead to scratches

Many believe that a “kitty kiss” or when a cat greets you by
slowly staring and blinking at you, is an expression of affection. But you
might be surprised why kitty starts acting hostile the moment you reach to pet
it. According to animal behavior experts, a long, deep, unblinking stare is a
cat’s way of guarding his or her territory, meaning you’re actually not
welcome.

Cats won’t hesitate to eat you

No matter how much you love fluffy, that cat is not going to
hesitate to eat you if you die at home. According to a forensic pathologist who
presented at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences conference, cats would
not think twice about eating their owner if they’re left unfeed. When people
who live by themselves with pets unexpectedly die, their bodies are usually
left inside the house for days without anyone noticing. With their owners dead
and no food on the bowls, pets begin to starve. Dogs would go several days
without touching their owner’s body, but cats would only wait a day or two. The
phenomenon is called “postmortem predation.”

Cat poop is toxic, but it makes you want to have more cats

Cleaning out the litter box is a real hassle, but did you know
that i could also be affecting your health and brain? A certain parasite called
the Toxoplasma gondii is found in cat poop. In rare occasions, this parasite
can actually cause the disease called toxoplasmosis, which starts out with
flu-like symptoms and leads to a weakened immune system. The illness has also
been linked to a number of serious mental conditions such as anxiety,
depression, and schizophrenia. Since the parasite affect people’s mental
conditions, some individuals have been recorded to develop a strange and
intense, almost obsessive, attraction to cats. Those who have been infected
with Toxoplasma are known have a fondness for the smell of cat urine and feces.

Smelly human

And lastly, you might wonder why your cat just loves to keep
licking itself. While the activity does give them a calming effect, cats
actually lick themselves because they want to get rid of the “human” smell, as
well as smooth and groom their fur. soyes, your cat thinks you stink.

Whether they’re being cute and cuddly or acting like total
jerks, we can’t seem to get enough of cats. Like this article? Leave us your
comments on why we love cats, and suggestions on future topics. Don’t forget to
share this article!